here!“

Steele looked around in panic and surprise, but few moments later he was surrounded by his old knowns. And they were not happy to see him. They didn`t forget.

 

Well, and now... it`s... oh crap!

 

Dogs surrounded Steele and Connie and was obvious it wouldn`t be joyful and happy meeting.

„You have to be mad when you are here. Or it`s just bad joke?!“ One former member of his former team said. „Yes. What do you think you are, liar?!“ added second.

„Steele?“ Connie was teriffied.

„And look who`s with him! Could you tell us your name?“

„Why? What does it all mean? Steele?“

Steele turned aside and tried to explain: „Uh, you know, it`s just....hehe... thing is...“

„Steele, you even hadn`t enough propriety to tell her about what you did?!“ yelled one of dogs.

Mob grew restless. „Of course he didn`t! That worthless creature! And he had enough arogance to return back! Punish him! He deserves nothing but....“ 

„LISTEN TO ME!“ Connie shouted, „I don`t care about his past! He saved my, and not only my, life!“ Impact of her words was great. Crowd gasped and stayed in speechless amazement and after while it began to mumble. „What....Steele? He saved... no, that can`t be true... but what if... she lies, that`s all.“ then one older dog asked Connie: „You said you didn`t care about his past? Maybe you should care about it. And he saved your life?“

„Yes, he did!“

„I know him well. He saved your life for to stab you in your back later.... trust me.“

Connie was shocked: „ How you could say thing like this! Steele won`t do such.... he is really nice to me!“

 

Do you hear her? She thinks you are good. She likes you... and you want to betray her?
Of course I want to! She has no use for me!
You didn`t change yourself, after all. You should hold her in great esteem...

I DON`T NEED TO!

 

„Girl, trust me. We know him better than you. And...“ old dog was interrupted by one husky who cried: „... and therefore we need to teach him a lesson! Get him!“

Dogs began to advance towards Steele and Connie. There was no chance to escape. „WAS IST ... oh, I mean... WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE.... DOING?!“ Steele and Connie turned their heads towards source of that shout. It was Ryan. But... he looked different.

His eyes were widely opened, his fangs were bared and he looked like a demon from the netherworld.

Even Steele was scared. If he had thought he had ever seen angry Ryan, now he had to admit he had never seen him really angry.

Dogs stopped. „Hey, who are you? Another friend of this scum? After all he did to Balto and...“ one brave malamute yelled on Ryan.

Ryan came near him and quietly said: „I don`t know any Balto, so I don`t care. Friend? No... but...,“ and then he shouted in the malamute`s face: „IF YOU HAVE QUARELL WITH HIM, THEN YOU HAVE ... SOME BUSINESS WITH ME, TOO!“

Malamute chickened out and no wonder. Although he was even bigger than Ryan, he was facing mad, bloodthirsty and nearly invincible creature.

„HE IS A PART... OF MEIN PACK! Oh, pardon me.... OF MY PACK! AND I DO NOT LET YOU TO INSULT ANYONE FROM MY PACK! Even if he is as bad as you say!“

Ryan looked over the crowd and then he said in more peaceful way: „My name is Ryan, and I don`t want any fight or quarell right here. I suggest you to go home and forget about it.“

And it appeared lots of other dogs didn`t want to fight and they were happy it ended this way.

Crowd was disbanded.

„Connie... and you! Go to the sledge. NOW!“ Ryan watched them and when they rounded the nearest corner, then he came to one of the three dogs that hadn`t left the place in time and now they seemed scared and terrified. „You three! Yes, you! Would you do me a favor? What are your names?“

One of them, the weirdest dog Ryan ever saw: „Uhhh... and what if we don`t want to....“

And then he realised, that was wrong answer. Ryan lowered his head, so he was looking straight into dog`s eyes, which were full of fear: „So then... you will realize you made your worst mistake.“

„Ooookay... we do not need any troubles with you, isn`t that right, Kaltag, Nikki?“

The other two dogs nodded. „So good,“ Ryan continued, „then, tell me everything about Steele. Everything you know....“

-----------------

„Steele, you have something to tell me...“ Connie sounded angry.

„Oh, you mean...“

„You know exactly what I mean!“

 

And now it`s there. I was waiting for it from the start. So, what you will say? Will you confess, or you will lie?

 

„Connie... I am sorry I didn`t tell you before. I didn`t want you to think bad of me, because... because I like you,” Steele lied and pretended to regret his past deeds, „I made lot of mistakes in my past, but I have changed... please, don`t want me to speak about it.... I really like you... I don`t want to lost you...“

„I like you, too, Steele.“

 

How unexpected!

SHUT UP!

---------------

„And that`s all, I think,“ Star ended nervously.

„I see... well, I didn`t misjudge him too much. In fact, it is worse than I thought,“ Ryan said mainly for himself than for the three former Steele`s companions. „Okay, you three... you have my gratitude. I think you are so happy helping me, so then you will agree with another cooperation, won`t you? Of course you will. Tell me everything what happened everytime you see me.“ Star nodded quickly and all he wanted was the end of this conversation. Ryan turned himself and headed to the sledge. „So what now?“ Nikki asked.

„Guys, that eyes.... worse than Steele, I say.“

„Should we tell Balto?“

„Uh... I don`t think so.“

------------------

Robert sold furs for better price than he expected, bought some food, tools, ammo for his rifle and three warm sausages for his dogs. He walked out and gave the sausages to Steele, Connie and Ryan, who waited near sledge. Then he began to load sledge.

„Hello, mister,“ manly voice said behind his back.

„Oh, hello,“ Robert replied and stopped loading sledge.

„You have nice dogs, I see.“

„Thanks.“ Robert smiled and thought: ‘So, what do you want?’

„But this one...“ man pointed on Steele, who recognized his former master, „looks familiar to me. It`s one of my former sledge dogs, actually. Yes. Steele. I am his former master.”

„You want him back, I expect.“

„It`s been a months I saw him last time. He had to run away after that diphtheria matter. And he did the right thing.“

„Why?“

„I would shoot him, if he hadn`t run away. Know what he did? He was my leading dog and he left me and all others in wilderness! Just betrayed me!“ man said in disdain.

„Really? Well, the same Steele who are you talking about saved my life a day ago. Anyway, do you want him back?“

„Oh, well,“ man began to look irresolutly, „he betrayed me, but he is really good sledge dog, I don`t know, if...“

„200 $. Do you agree?” Robert offered and prepared himself for haggling.

„He is really good, you know, I still..“

„220 $. Not a cent more.”

„I think...“

„Look, so take him back and shoot him! Or... you could trade him for 220 dollars.“

„But he is more worthy , than...“

„At this time and at this place he worths 220$. My last offer,“ Robert said calmly.

„Oh, good then. He is yours.“ Man took money and walked away. Robert kneeled infront of Steele and said: „Look, boy, you cost all my savings, but you saved Connie and me and that`s more than money.“

All three dogs watched that scene with amazement. Ryan was speechless. His master had just adopted most wicked dog he knew.

Although they didn`t understand a word two men had said, they knew what it meant: Steele`s new master is called Robert McBride.

---------------

 

CHAPTER 6: CAN I CALL YOU AN UNCLE?

 

Two days passed. Clay was walking in the forest. He didn`t go to Nome. And as he was passing one shrubbery, something rustled in it. Clay stopped, didn`t even turned his head and said: „Well, you can`t be a bear, `cause bear cannot hide itself in the shrub. And you are not a wolf. They attack in a pack. And you can`t be dog neither. Your scent is strange to me. So... I am really curious, who you are.“ Then he turned himself. „Go out, or I will make you. I don`t like to be watched by a stranger.“

„Okay... but don`t tell dad.“

Clay groaned. „Aleu, it`s you?“ Aleu walked out of shrubbery.

„What are you doing here? Aren`t you supposed to be at home? What would you have done, if I had been a hungry wolf?“

„But you aren`t a wolf and I was bored. I want to have an adventure!“ Aleu smiled and pounced around Clay. He smiled too and said: „I remember when I was like you. Same as you.“

„Tell me something about you, please,“ Aleu asked Clay as they was walking through the forest.

„I am not good at telling stories“ Clay laughed, „but I know very interesting one. Want to hear it?“

„Of course!“ Aleu was eager.

„So... long time ago there were dad and mum. And they had two sons. The older one was very good at – it is not essential. And one day he left his family. He didn`t want to, bud he had to. He promised he would return. As time went, he became very, very good, one of the best sledge dogs.

And he was famous. But he never returned. Mum was worried about him and she was sad, too. So the younger one went to find out what happened to the older one. And he found out the older one is liar, deceiver and bad one, who wasn`t hesitating even to kill for his own good. And now the younger one was wondering: ‘Should I tell my mother the truth, or I will lie?’. And... what would you do?”

Aleu was quiet for a moment and then she said: „I would not lie to my mother. I would tell her the truth.“

Clay smiled and asked her: „Even if you know it will hurt her? If she would feel so deep sorrow?“

„But if I would lie to her, I wouldn`t be better than the older one.“

„Indeed...“ Clay sighed. And then he smiled widely: „So, what about a little race? To this cave?“

Aleu noded and she started to run. So did Clay.

--------------

„Darling?“

„Yes?“

„Do you know where Aleu is?“

„She said she went to....

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